Selected twice for Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight (in 2004 via In the Battlefields [+lee también:
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entrevista: Danielle Arbid
ficha de la película] (awarded the Cannes label in 2020 and selected in competition in San Sebastián in 2020), the French-Lebanese filmmaker Danielle Arbid has now kicked off filming on her new movie Love Conquers All as of 6 January.

Eye-catching names leading the cast include Palestine’s Hiam Abbass (nominated for 2018’s Best Actress Lumière thanks to In Syria [+lee también:
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entrevista: Philippe Van Leeuw
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entrevista: Lina Soualem
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entrevista: Costa-Gavras
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Written by Danielle Arbid, the story sees sixty-something widow Suzanne make the acquaintance of Osmane one evening in Beirut… He’s young, black, Sudanese and an illegal migrant. She’s white, Lebanese of Palestinian origin and twice his age… They fall in love, but Lebanon is on the edge of the abyss. The TV and social media are continually pumping out terrifying news updates. But Osmane moves in with Suzanne, nonetheless. Their love triggers an outcry amidst the generalised chaos, but Suzanne and Osmane stand strong…

Love Conquers All is being produced by Omar El Kadi and Nadia Turincev on behalf of Parisian firm Easy Riders Films, in co-production with Georges Schoucair for Lebanese outfit Abbout Productions and Ziad Srouji for Rise Studios (United Arab Emirates). Pre-purchased by ART for the Middle East, the feature film also enjoys support from the Hubert Bals + Europe Fund, the Image de la Francophonie Fund and from the Red Sea Souk Development Award. The 21-day film shoot will take place in Montjoie Studios in the Parisian district of Saint Denis, with Céline Bozon (nominated for the 2018 Lumière in her specialism thanks to Félicité [+lee también:
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entrevista: Alain Gomis
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For the record, Easy Riders Films are currently developing Alicante, a first fiction feature film project by Lina Soualem (awarded the ArteKino International Prize last month at the Atlas Workshops – read our news).